Pattaya is the best place in Thailand!

[JustAnotherHun]

Some of the posters here just know Walking Street, Soi6 and Soi Buakao I guess.

Pattaya is a bit more than that:

 

Far better climate than Bangkok, if you live at the beach.

Plenty of good restaurants in a 10 minutes driving distance.

Shops offering anything a farang could need.

One of the best international schools in Thailand

80 minutes to the airport

Fast and stable internet

Golf courses around and now less crowded

A farang comunity (no, not the tattooed low lives in muscle shirts and flipflops) which you won't find somewhere in the djungle)

Nice beaches a few km outside

Some very nice, high standard and well maintained condos which you will hardly find outside Bangkok, I guess.

Not so bad IMO

[1FinickyOne]

31 minutes ago, jacko45k said:

Someone who thinks it takes zero time to get there!

nobody said that either? 

 

You must think you win a lot of arguments when you make up the other persons words... 

 

 

[DannyCarlton]

8 hours ago, tlandtday said:

Sounds like a monger in action.  Let's deal with some realities.  Pattaya is very polluted and the air quality is very close to Bangkok and actually exceeds Chiang Mai for parts of the year.  The infrastructure is overtaxed and traffic and roads are in poor shape.  The police have round the clock check stops 24 hours per day.  The people are less friendly than other parts including Bangkok.  The ones who drift here are generally here to make a quick buck and cons are existent everywhere.

 

Pattaya is only redeemed by its cheap rents and location.  If you are someone who simply chases addictions such as sex or alcohol or whatever Pattaya is definitely the place for you.

Air quality is much better than Chiang Mai or Bangkok. Roads are pretty much the same as everywhere I've visited in Thailand. I have lived here for 6 years and only been stopped once, roadside check' everyone getting stopped Thai and farang. Showed the very friendly officer my driving licence and was waved on. I've been stopped 4 times in other parts of Thailand.

 

Ther Thai locals have, in the main, well paid (for Thailand) legitimate jobs and are as friendly as elswhere in Thailand. Speak their language and you will make friends with them. I have no addictions, visit bars probably once per week, last night was one of them, freind arrived from the UK yesterday. Visited a couple of bars, had 5 scotches and a great night.

 

House prices are cheaper than some locations in Thailand, more expensive than most. My house, 4M baht. An English friend's house, 10m baht.

 

If you do ever return to Pattaya, instead of spending your time on Soi Buakhao with the 2 week tourists, try venturing a bit further out. There's a whole new world out there. You won't recognise it.

[jacko45k]

5 minutes ago, kenk24 said:

nobody said that either? 

 

You must think you win a lot of arguments when you make up the other persons words... 

 

 

Please refer to the OP, it is not about Chiangmai. 

[MRTELLYOUSTRAIGHT]

If I made the wrong choice and settled outside of Pattaya and had no hope of cashing up and and having a second chance I'd be on here slagging it off too.

[jimn]

7 hours ago, Number 6 said:

It's not that Pattaya isn't those things it's the others that offset it

 

Rank reputation among Thai

Pretty disgusting mob of people honestly. Thai, farang

A dangerous thuggery about in the streets

No serious transport for a city of its size

No real Thai food

The second, third tier women go to Pattaya.

The hordes of Russian, Indian, Chinese, Middle Eastern

The aggressive ladyboys

The general grubbiness of the place. Quite unclean.

Beach road has been a dump since 2006. I'm sure it's not changed.

Traffic and management are non existent

If you want to travel south, it's poorly situated

The Dark side. Just riff Raff, mostly skint British expats

 

You are so funny. I live on the Darkside its full of great gated community housing, lots of business owners live here. Yes parts of Pattaya are a dump but there is more to Pattaya than Beach Road for heavens sake. Whilst I am here, you say since 2006, was that the last time you came here and yet you are attempting to comment like an expert.

[jacko45k]

21 minutes ago, MRTELLYOUSTRAIGHT said:

If I made the wrong choice and settled outside of Pattaya and had no hope of cashing up and and having a second chance I'd be on here slagging it off too.

You are correct that many have ended up in that situation, myself included. Although if I can stay a few more years, I may consider I have got my money's worth, and sell the house to a pig farmer for 200 baht, and get my own back on the neighbours with the dogs! But I don't slag the place off to the extent I see here. It is what it is, and when I was touring Thailand in 2005, deciding where to settle, it looked the best choice. Admittedly I settled out of town away from the mayhem. 

 

Sure beats retiring in Northern England!

[Laughing Gravy]

10 hours ago, BigStar said:

Now we do have Cheap Charlies who chase the balloons just ‘cause they’re cheap. We had old Germans in my building using the swimming pool showers just to save on their water bills.

Now that is cheap and low but I have noticed in my building in Jomtien people charging their phones in the foyer. I noticed this a few times so jokingly said "are you trying to safe on electricity". Surprisingly the answer was yes. 

 

I am sure there are many other Cheap Charlie tricks and ways but have some respect for yourself.

 

As for Pattay/Jomtien, there is something for everyone. Going there on a holiday a few times or even staying a month does not make you an expert. Live their for a long time and you realise that things change so much. That's the beauty of it.

[jacko45k]

2 minutes ago, Laughing Gravy said:

I am sure there are many other Cheap Charlie tricks and ways but have some respect for yourself.

Pocketing napkins and sachets of sugar at cafes.  Refusing to buy a drink in the same places as a bottle of water is 10 baht in 7-11. Hanging around in malls to enjoy free AC.

[BritManToo]

1 minute ago, jacko45k said:

Pocketing napkins and sachets of sugar at cafes.  Refusing to buy a drink in the same places as a bottle of water is 10 baht in 7-11. Hanging around in malls to enjoy free AC.

Never seen any point in paying for water when it's almost free from the tap, and free in most restaurants.

No need for air-conditioning, it's a really nice temperature at the moment, sitting in front of the TV doors and windows open.

 

[yogi100]

On 3/3/2020 at 1:37 AM, kenk24 said:

From CM you can fly to near anywhere in an hour... in Pattaya it is over an hour just to get to the airport... so, who is isolated? 

 

Obviously all just a matter of taste... glad you are enjoying where you have chosen... 

 

And living "out" where the Thai are Thai - and don't have to learn to "react" to farang - that is what Thailand is about for me.. 

It can also take a CM resident an hour to get to hour to get to CM airport if the traffic is bad. Pattaya traffic is always bad but most of the journey to the airport is on the motorway.

[lkn]

48 minutes ago, DannyCarlton said:

Air quality is much better than Chiang Mai or Bangkok

That’s a pretty low bar, with Chiang Mai making the top 3 over most polluted cities in the world.

 

49 minutes ago, DannyCarlton said:

I have lived here for 6 years and only been stopped once

I agree that police checks are everywhere in Thailand, but Pattaya makes them a bit more annoying by also requiring urin samples (if you are with Thai company).

 

53 minutes ago, DannyCarlton said:

If you do ever return to Pattaya, instead of spending your time on Soi Buakhao with the 2 week tourists, try venturing a bit further out. There's a whole new world out there. You won't recognise it.

OP stated that Pattaya is the best place to live. I suggest those arguing that “there is more than just Walking Street and Soi 6” take a look at a map of Pattaya and point us to these hidden treasures that we have missed, because I’m quite sure I have been pretty much everywhere in Pattaya, and I stand by my previous statements.

 

I regularly have friends and family come visit me in Thailand, and I can always fill the days with activities, even for people that visit for multiple weeks, but this is outside of Pattaya.

 

I have one friend who likes to go to Pattaya for the girls, we can easily fill the nights, but as I alluded to previously, daytime activities are a challenge, and despite his fondness for Pattaya, he also considers it a total dump!

 

As for housing, because there are so few daytime activities in Pattaya, we always look for nice accommodation, so that we can at least just hang out in our house or condo, but here Pattaya is also disappointing, there aren’t any spacious/modern/high end condos or (better) pool villas.

 

What passes as “luxurious” in Pattaya is laughable!

[brokenbone]

my primary reasons for pattaya is,

1] i can buy nearly anything i want, at nearly any time i want,

only bangkok can compete.

2] the city is located at the sea, which means more moderate temperature,

never too hot, never too cold

[lkn]

5 minutes ago, yogi100 said:

It can also take a CM resident an hour to get to hour to get to CM airport if the traffic is bad. Pattaya traffic is always bad but most of the journey to the airport is on the motorway.

I think the original statement was that “Pattaya is centrally located”. The Airport times from Google Maps are as follows:

 

U-Tapao Airport: 48 m
Suvarnabhumi Airport: 1h 25m
Don Mueang Airport: 2h 15m
 

While there might be congestion in Chiang Mai, you can normally get to the airport in less than 20 minutes from pretty much anywhere inside the super highway.

 

Personally I always leave for the airport one hour before my flight is about to leave, and have never missed a flight. The airport itself has flights to Krabi, Phuket, Bangkok, U-Tapao, and many international destinations, so you can often do direct flights.

 

It really is a great convenience to have an airport this close, On a few occasions I have gone there by bicycle, and when I escort people to the airport, I may opt to walk back.

 

Though this wasn’t supposed to be about Chiang Mai, more just that calling Pattaya “centrally located” is stretching the truth, when it’s more than a one hour drive to the nearest international airport, which is actually unlike other places in Thailand, for example Ao Nang is only a 40 minute drive from Krabi Airport, which also have international flights, and you also have Koh Samui, even Patong is less than a one hour drive from Phuket Airport.

 

[JustAnotherHun]

27 minutes ago, lkn said:

but here Pattaya is also disappointing, there aren’t any spacious/modern/high end condos or (better) pool villas.

LOL

[Burma Bill]

11 hours ago, jimn said:

You also said "Pattaya, in my opinion, is a dump and to be avoided!!"

 

How in heavens name do know what Pattaya is like if you have never been here. Your comments are typical of the anti Pattaya brigade. A load of boring old f**ts.

For information, I have been there on a few occasions and that was when I made observations to back my claim! I'm certainly not a boring old f..t being a regular traveler in neighboring countries, enjoying life  It is the bar stool pundits in Pattaya with nothing else to do that are boring!

[lkn]

3 minutes ago, JustAnotherHun said:

LOL

Why not prove me wrong by pointing me to a modern/spacious/high end pool villa located in Pattaya?

[yogi100]

17 minutes ago, lkn said:

I think the original statement was that “Pattaya is centrally located”. The Airport times from Google Maps are as follows:

 

U-Tapao Airport: 48 m
Suvarnabhumi Airport: 1h 25m
Don Mueang Airport: 2h 15m
 

While there might be congestion in Chiang Mai, you can normally get to the airport in less than 20 minutes from pretty much anywhere inside the super highway.

 

Personally I always leave for the airport one hour before my flight is about to leave, and have never missed a flight. The airport itself has flights to Krabi, Phuket, Bangkok, U-Tapao, and many international destinations, so you can often do direct flights.

 

It really is a great convenience to have an airport this close, On a few occasions I have gone there by bicycle, and when I escort people to the airport, I may opt to walk back.

 

Though this wasn’t supposed to be about Chiang Mai, more just that calling Pattaya “centrally located” is stretching the truth, when it’s more than a one hour drive to the nearest international airport, which is actually unlike other places in Thailand, for example Ao Nang is only a 40 minute drive from Krabi Airport, which also have international flights, and you also have Koh Samui, even Patong is less than a one hour drive from Phuket Airport.

 

I do not live in the LOS I just have long holidays in Pattaya. If I fly direct from London I can get from Heathrow to my hotel in Pattaya in 14 hours if all goes well.

 

It would take me much longer to get to CM. So for me Pattaya is much handier and the night life which is probably the best in the world is what I go there for. I've zero interest in temples, culture or ancient buildings. We've got more than enough temples, cultures and old buildings to point a stick at in London.

[JustAnotherHun]

17 minutes ago, lkn said:

Why not prove me wrong by pointing me to a modern/spacious/high end pool villa located in Pattaya?

Try - as ONE example - "Siam Bay View". There's a couple of pool villas priced around 50 million THB or more. One's owned by Swiss friend of mine. Very nice.

Looking for a 600m2 penthouse straight on the beach? I can help.

But I confess, those places are usually not offered for short time rent.

 

And to the lack of daytime activities:

You play Golf, Squash, Tennis, Badminton, Snooker or something like that.? Welcome.

But you're right so far as there are no places to hug buffaloes, watch the rice growing, discuss with your teethless Thai neighbor the rising somtam prices and other enyoements like that.

Edited March 4, 2020 by JustAnotherHun

[yogi100]

4 minutes ago, JustAnotherHun said:

Try - as ONE example - "Siam Bay View". There's a couple of pool villas priced around 50 million THB or more. One's owned by Swiss friend of mine. Very nice.

Looking for a 600m2 penthouse straight on the beach? I can help.

But I confess, those places are usually not offered for short time rent.

 

And to the lack of daytime activities:

You play Golf, Squash, Tennis, Badminton, Snooker or something like that.? Welcome.

But you're right so far as there are no places to hug buffaloes, watch the rice growing, discuss with your teethless Thai neighbor the rising somtam prices and other enyoements like that.

And who said the Germans never had a sense of humour!

[fhickson]

will be real honest here and admit i found pattaya boring after about a month. have lived all over thailand 5 years now.

 

all i was doing in pattaya was walking around eating and drinking in dingy bars and eateries. the girls were nice, but they can be found most other places, bars packed full of them was not my scene or comfort zone.

 

the guys i met who lived there long term always appeared to have lots of personal problems/issues etc they would bring up. sex and booze seemed to be a distraction from issues / life problems is my guess.

 

but its definately worth checking out. nowhere else like it.

[emptypockets]

14 hours ago, Burma Bill said:

Yes, in a very good position to criticize and I will continue to do so.

Feel free to look silly. It's both entertaining and pitiful at the same time. Really....nobody cares. Why would they?

[Bigz]

In my opinion Pattaya is not the best. I am myself an isaan warrior and I understand that it doesn't suit mosts needs. However I did spend some time in both Pattaya and Phuket. I think that Phuket for the likes of you will beat Pattaya in at least 8 of your points out of 10. The 2 exceptions are the central location and the value for money. For all the rest Phuket is superior. As for myself I had my fill of the Sin cities and prefer to enjoy my life in quiet Buriram.

[Don Mega]

11 hours ago, tlandtday said:

 

 

Pattaya is only redeemed by its cheap rents and location.  If you are someone who simply chases addictions such as sex or alcohol or whatever Pattaya is definitely the place for you.

I find its location to be perfect for my daily commute to work everyday, the cheap rents means I rent a better standard of house for a reasonable price.

[lkn]

39 minutes ago, JustAnotherHun said:

Try - as ONE example - "Siam Bay View". There's a couple of pool villas priced around 50 million THB or more

Are you talking about Siam Bayshore Resort? That is a nice resort, but not what I have in mind when I am thinking “private pool villa” — good luck skinny dipping with your belle de jour.

 

As for daytime activities, you can do sports most places in the world, and Pattaya would not be my first choice because of the humidity.

 

The interesting physical activities to do in Thailand would be those unique to Thailand, explore the beautiful nature by trekking in the mountains, visiting lakes, rivers, waterfalls, swimming in the ocean, going to some of the beautiful islands, stay overnight in the jungle, catch fish, play in the water, etc. etc.

 

But Pattaya itself has none of this nature, and is poorly placed for reaching it, compared to e.g. Ao Nang or even Chiang Mai.

 

And when you have had enough of nature, enjoy the many unique coffee and cake shops, restaurants, etc., but here again, Pattaya is sorely lacking, as except for a few high end resorts, there is little emphasis on aesthetics. Even just incorporating the lush nature that they should have just outside the dorr, is something most places fail at.

 

That is why I (and others) describe it as a dump!

 

That, and of course that it’s overrun by (cheap) tourists, and so many places just cater to tourists.

 

Although the local expats are also a sorry sight. Have you ever been to the food court at Big C? Boy that is depressing…

[jacko45k]

1 hour ago, lkn said:

take a look at a map of Pattaya and point us to these hidden treasures that we have missed,

You haven't lived until you visit the sheep farm, or so my NZ pal tells me, and a bargain compared to soi 6. 

The time one saves in CM getting to the airport is more than lost attending the hopeless immigration!

I would rather have a real airport under 90 minutes away than a half baked one with flights to nowhere except mostly Bangkok,  still 45 minutes away. 

Pattaya is very central and serviced with great highways.... Chiangmai... is up there in the smoky wilderness. 

 

[JustAnotherHun]

26 minutes ago, lkn said:

Are you talking about Siam Bayshore Resort?

Sorry, my fault. It was the Siam Royal View of course.

 

But Pattaya itself has none of this nature, and is poorly placed for reaching it, compared to e.g. Ao Nang or even Chiang Mai.

 

You find nice and not at all crowded beaches and some lovely islands near by. You're right about the mountains, I miss them badly. We don't have paragliding here, but those spots I saw in the north were not really worth visiting compared to the ones I know from Europe.

 

That, and of course that it’s overrun by (cheap) tourists, and so many places just cater to tourists.

 

My impression is that there are less low lives from Europe in the last years, but yes, it is too crowded. Right now without the Chinese it's quite comfortable and it's easy to avoid the typical tourist places.

 

Have you ever been to the food court at Big C? Boy that is depressing…

True. Both BigC and Royal garden went down many years ago. Next time try the food store at Central Festival on Second/Beach Rd. Excellent fruit there. If you prefere morr thai style, then visit the Naklua food market.

[Number 6]

4 hours ago, jimn said:

You are so funny. I live on the Darkside its full of great gated community housing, lots of business owners live here. Yes parts of Pattaya are a dump but there is more to Pattaya than Beach Road for heavens sake. Whilst I am here, you say since 2006, was that the last time you came here and yet you are attempting to comment like an expert.

Darkside...might as well live in Chachoensao. If you're going to live near the beach, that's not near the beach.

 

I left Pattaya for good in 2009. Never looked back. The type of men it was attracting not only skint, miscreants but foreign thieves I just reached my threshold.

 

Darkside, bwah.

[Leaver]

6 hours ago, JustAnotherHun said:

Some of the posters here just know Walking Street, Soi6 and Soi Buakao I guess.

Pattaya is a bit more than that:

 

Far better climate than Bangkok, if you live at the beach.

Plenty of good restaurants in a 10 minutes driving distance.

Shops offering anything a farang could need.

One of the best international schools in Thailand

80 minutes to the airport

Fast and stable internet

Golf courses around and now less crowded

A farang comunity (no, not the tattooed low lives in muscle shirts and flipflops) which you won't find somewhere in the djungle)

Nice beaches a few km outside

Some very nice, high standard and well maintained condos which you will hardly find outside Bangkok, I guess.

Not so bad IMO

Whilst I agree with most of the points you make, unfortunately, visa requirements, the higher cost of living, and the strong baht, has seen Pattaya fall out of favor with western tourists and expats. 

[jimn]

44 minutes ago, Number 6 said:

Darkside...might as well live in Chachoensao. If you're going to live near the beach, that's not near the beach.

 

I left Pattaya for good in 2009. Never looked back. The type of men it was attracting not only skint, miscreants but foreign thieves I just reached my threshold.

 

Darkside, bwah.

OMG you are really showing your ignorance. 2009 is 11 years ago. The Darkside has changed massively since then. By the way its only 10 minutes to Jomtien beach and 20 minutes to a great beach at Ban Amphur. You are probably one of these people missing Pattaya so much that all you can do is slag it off, when the reallity is that you know nothing about Pattaya in 2020.